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pranreadsalot 's review for:
The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry
by Rachel Joyce
“But maybe it's what the world needs. A little less sense, and a little more faith.”
― Rachel Joyce, The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry
Halfway while reading this book, there came a point where I realized that in retrospect, this book is rather absurd. An old man in his sixties receives a letter from his dying friend he has not seen in 20 years and decides to walk 600 miles to meet her because he feels he can save her by walking. For the longest time I just didn't understand why Harold didn't hitch a ride, take a bus, hop a train or even get on a horse. The walk to me seemed impractical, unfeasible, and completely unrealistic. It seemed like a mere plot gimmick--hey! I'll write a book about a guy who decides to walk. It didn't make sense. All that the book talked about was how he met different people suffering in their own way. From there, I must admit the only reason I read this was because I did not want to DNF it. And yet here I am with a five star rating.
It's because there was not any need for it to make sense. It was a pilgrimage in its purest sense, a journey of faith and belief. Harold Fry knew he could not cure cancer. And yet he walked like a madman. Why, you ask? It's all in the last fifty pages. Somewhere toward the end, this author really pulled this story together for me. There is an effective twist, that was the most heartbreaking part of the story for me, that made me realize Harold had been through circumstances that might render a man quite mad... mad enough to start walking and not stop, and all of a sudden his walk became a lot more understandable and a lot more feasible.
The encounter that Harold has with Queenie at the end was one of the most heartbreaking ones, because it was so real, so true, so meaningful. It broke my heart and would remain the most memorable part of this book.
Next, his wife, Maureen and his son, David. Rachel Joyce is wonderful at crafting her characters, and that is proved by how fleshed out Maureen is. Her pain in letting Harold go is evident, and it's so painfully beautiful, so full of meaning. Same with their relationship with their son. This, in particular, ripped my heart out. It's wonderfully done.
Finally, Harold. He is a broken man, full of regrets and loathing for himself. In the beginning it made little sense, but now it feels overwhelmingly sad and honest. He is what I call an intimate character- a reader spends so much time in his head, reading his thoughts that he fells as if he knows him inside out. He is a very unlikely hero, but also the most suitable for this story. I am in love with him.
The last time I cried while reading a book was in December last year, and I had been yearning for something so touching for a while now. I believe I found it. This book is certainly going to my favorites shelf. It's a generous book, but more, there is a certain wisdom to this story. It's like that book which you read and then feel a bit more wiser because you read it. I don't think I'll forget this anytime soon.
― Rachel Joyce, The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry
Halfway while reading this book, there came a point where I realized that in retrospect, this book is rather absurd. An old man in his sixties receives a letter from his dying friend he has not seen in 20 years and decides to walk 600 miles to meet her because he feels he can save her by walking. For the longest time I just didn't understand why Harold didn't hitch a ride, take a bus, hop a train or even get on a horse. The walk to me seemed impractical, unfeasible, and completely unrealistic. It seemed like a mere plot gimmick--hey! I'll write a book about a guy who decides to walk. It didn't make sense. All that the book talked about was how he met different people suffering in their own way. From there, I must admit the only reason I read this was because I did not want to DNF it. And yet here I am with a five star rating.
It's because there was not any need for it to make sense. It was a pilgrimage in its purest sense, a journey of faith and belief. Harold Fry knew he could not cure cancer. And yet he walked like a madman. Why, you ask? It's all in the last fifty pages. Somewhere toward the end, this author really pulled this story together for me. There is an effective twist, that was the most heartbreaking part of the story for me, that made me realize Harold had been through circumstances that might render a man quite mad... mad enough to start walking and not stop, and all of a sudden his walk became a lot more understandable and a lot more feasible.
The encounter that Harold has with Queenie at the end was one of the most heartbreaking ones, because it was so real, so true, so meaningful. It broke my heart and would remain the most memorable part of this book.
Next, his wife, Maureen and his son, David. Rachel Joyce is wonderful at crafting her characters, and that is proved by how fleshed out Maureen is. Her pain in letting Harold go is evident, and it's so painfully beautiful, so full of meaning. Same with their relationship with their son. This, in particular, ripped my heart out. It's wonderfully done.
Finally, Harold. He is a broken man, full of regrets and loathing for himself. In the beginning it made little sense, but now it feels overwhelmingly sad and honest. He is what I call an intimate character- a reader spends so much time in his head, reading his thoughts that he fells as if he knows him inside out. He is a very unlikely hero, but also the most suitable for this story. I am in love with him.
The last time I cried while reading a book was in December last year, and I had been yearning for something so touching for a while now. I believe I found it. This book is certainly going to my favorites shelf. It's a generous book, but more, there is a certain wisdom to this story. It's like that book which you read and then feel a bit more wiser because you read it. I don't think I'll forget this anytime soon.